Picture book and method of making the same



Dec. 3, 1968 F. SCHNEIDER 3,414,296

PICTURE BOOK AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 10, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l I '1 a *1 W i b- Fig.2

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PICTURE BOOK AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 10, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Friedrich Schn ider 5;: Aim 04w! WMfl/h United States Patent 3,414,296 PICTURE BOOK AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Friedrich Schneider, 9 Maximiliansplatz, 8 Munich 2, Germany Filed Jan. 10, 1967, Scr. No. 608,428 9 Claims. (Cl. 28139) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An accordion-type book consisting mainly of two elongated, imprinted foils of pliable plastic impervious to liquid water and having rims sealed to each other and a core of foam plastic or foam rubber between the foils. Transverse hinges are formed in the book by thinner and denser parts of the foam material, at least one of the foils being creased along the hinge. The books are made by interposing strips of the foam material between the foils and heat sealing the foils to each other about the strips while simultaneously forming the hinges by embossing.

Background of the invention This invention relates to an improvement in the picture book disclosed in my US. Patent No. 3,257,128, and to a method of making the improved picture book.

The picture book of my earlier patent consists of several laminar pages, three or more, which are of substantially identical size and shape. Each page has two face portions, a core portion interposed between the face portions, and an image or imprint exposed on the face portions of at least three pages of a book. The face portions are integral, longitudinally spaced parts of two superposed foil members of pliable material substantially impervions to water, and are connected with each other by longitudinally interposed hinge portions of the foil members. The core portions consist of resilient, soft, and pliable foam rubber or foam plastic.

Each page of the known book is connected to an adjacent page by a pair of respective hinge portions of the two foil members for pivotal movement of the pages about an axis transverse of the direction of elongation of the foil members. The rims of the two foil members project from the core portions in opposite longitudinal directions and transversely of the direction of elongation of the foil members, and are bonded to each other to form a seal between the foil members about the core portions of the pages.

Summary of the invention In the improved picture book of the instant invention, the individual pages have core portions which are integrally connected by hinge parts of foam rubber or foam plastic. Each hinge part is interposed between a pair of respective hinge portions of the two foil members, and is substantially thinner and of greater density than the core portions connected thereby. One of the hinge portions is approximately U-shaped in longitudinal section, and conforms to the associated hinge part of foam material.

The hinge part and U-shaped hinge portions are prestressed in such a manner that they resiliently urge the connected adjacent pages from a position of coplanar alignment toward a position in which the pages are angularly offset from each other. This hinge construction greatly aids a small child in folding and unfolding the book in the manner of an accordion, and enhances the enjoyment of the book.

In making the book, I imprint one face of each of two foils of pliable, thermoplastic, synthetic resin composition with images which form several elongated rows on the printed face. I then interpose several elongated fiat strips 3,414,296 Patented Dec. 3, 1968 of foam material between the foils to form therewith a laminar structure in which the printed faces are directed away from each other, the strips are aligned transversely with respective rows of images on the foils, and the strips are spaced from each other, whereas portions of the foils project beyond the width and length of each strip in two directions. The projecting foil portions are then heat sealed to form a seam about each strip which is impervious to liquid water. Simultaneously, superimposed portions of one foil and of associated strips of foam material are embossed. The embossed portions of each strip are spaced longitudinally of the strip and are elongated transversely of the direction of strip elongation between two spaced portions of the heat-sealed seam. Embossing is carried out until the strip portions are substantially thinner and of greater density than the longitudinally contiguous portions of the strip, and creases are formed in the embossed foil which conform to the embossed strip portions. The sealed projecting portions between the strips are then severed to form several picture book assemblies.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an imprinted plastic foil for use in the method of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows embossing and heat sealing apparatus employed in performing the method in a perspective view;

FIG. 3 illustrates a picture book assembly of the invention in an intermediate process stage and in plan view;

FIG. 4 illustrates the assembly of FIG. 3 in section on the line IVIV;

FIG. 5 shows a portion of the assembly of FIG. 4 on a larger scale;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a completed picture book of the invention wrapped for sale, storage, or shipment; and

FIG. 7 shows the picture book of FIG. 6 in side elevation in the position spontaneously assumed when released from the wrapping envelope.

Description of the preferred embodiment FIG. 1 shows a polyvinyl chloride foil 10 imprinted with two parallel and identical rows a, b of animal images. While I prefer silk screen printing for decorating the pages of my picture book, the specific printing method employed is not in itself relevant to this invention. The foil 10 is long and relatively narrow. While only four images are shown in each row, it will be understood that the foil is long enough to accommodate more than four images, approximately even spaced center to center.

The apparatus employed in assembling the foil 10 with the other elements of the picture book includes a press of which only a lower, fixed platen 13 and a movable upper platen 16 are seen in FIG. 2. The lower platen is a metal plate whose top face is flat, and which is mounted on a non-illustrated support structure by means of insulating legs 15. The upper platen 16 which may be moved toward and away from the Hat face of the lower platen 13, as indicated by a double arrow, carries two spacedly juxtaposed electrodes 18. Each electrode has the shape of a rectangular frame and consists of two longitudinal metal rails 18b which downwardly project from the platen 16, and whose ends are connected by metallic cross-bars 18a. Six transverse embossing bars parallel to the cross-bars are uniformly spaced over the length of the rails 18b and conductively connect the rails between the cross-bars 18a.

The two terminals of a high-frequency generator HF of a type commonly employed in the heat-sealing of plastics are conductively connected to the insulated platen 13 and to the electrodes 18 on the upper platen 16.

In assembling picture books 14 of the invention, I place an imprinted foil 10a on the fiat top face of the lower platen 13 and partly cover it with spaced strips 12 of polyurethane foam. Index marks on the platen 13 (not visible in the drawing) facilitate proper positioning of the foil a and of the strips 12. Another foil 10b is superimposed on the foam strips. The imprints on the foils 10a, 10b face away from each other and from the interposed foam strip 12. The imprints on one foil are at least approximately aligned with the imprints on the other foil, and the corresponding two rows of imprints extend in a common direction which is also the direction of elongation of the associated interposed strips of foam plastic.

The upper platen 16 is brought down on the top foil 10b in such a manner that the strips 12 and the imprints are located within the elongated rectangle formed by the rails 18!) and the cross-bars 18a while the embossing bars 180 are arranged between adjacent imprints. When the generator HP is energized, the two foils 10a, 10b are heatsealed or welded to each other, as shown in FIG. 3, along longitudinal seams x which are formed by the longitudinal rails 18b, and along cross-seams y which correspond to the cross-bars 18a and connect the longitudinal seams x to form a rectangular seam about each foam plastic strip 12.

The embossing bars 180 cannot weld the two layers of polyvinyl chloride to each other because of the interposed polyurethane foam, the output of the generator HF being adjusted to weld only the polyvinyl chloride foils 10a, 10b where they are in direct contact, but to leave the polyurethane foam practically unaffected. Sufficient heat is generated, however, to soften the polyvinyl chloride along the embossing bars so that the top foil 10b is permanently stretched by the pressure of the embossing bar to form a crease z of arcuate cross section, and the foam layer 12 is permanently compressed under the stretched foil portion, as is seen in FIG. 4, and in more detail in FIG. 5, so that the hinge parts of the strip 12 are much thinner and of correspondingly higher density than those parts of the strip which constitute the cores of the individual book pages.

After the platens 13, 16 have been moved apart, the foils 10a, 10b are readily torn along the seams x, y without affecting the tightness of the seal formed by the seams about the enclosed polyurethane strips, whereby two picture books 14 are obtained.

The flexural strength of each picture book 14 is sharply reduced along the transverse creases z and the book is readily folded along the creases z into an accordionshaped stack of pages which may then be enclosed in a transparent plastic wrapper 20. If reasonable care is taken to avoid contamination of the book components during preparation of the book 14, or if the components are sterilized first, and sterility is maintained during the book assembling procedure, the wrapper or envelope 20 is preferably also sterilized, and is heat-sealed after receiving the folded book. The book remains sterile in the wrapper 20 over very long periods while being visible for display and sale.

When the book 14 is released from the wrapper 20 after a storage period, it tends to expand spontaneously into the position illustrated in FIG. 7 in which each book page except the terminal pages is angularly offset from the two adjacent pages in opposite directions so that the book can be collapsed readily into the compact condition shown in FIG. 6 by merely moving the two extreme pages toward each other. When the pages of the book are flattened out into a position of coplanar alignment, the compressed hinge parts of the strip 12 and the hinge portions of the foils 10a, 10b act as springs which urge the pages toward the angularly offset position of FIG. 7. Even a very small child can therefore collapse and expand the picture book 14. This feature is associated with the specific manner in which the creases z are formed, and I have not been able to duplicate the same memory effect in any other simple manner.

While only two rows a and b of images on the foils 10 and two corresponding electrodes 18 on the platen 16 have been shown in the drawing, it will be understood that more than two books may be formed at one stroke of the partly illustrated press.

Plasticized polyvinyl chloride and heat resistant polyurethane foam are the most convenient materials of construction for the picture books 14 known to me at this time, but foils of any non-toxic, soft thermoplastic synthetic resin composition capable of being imprinted may be combined with any foam material which is solid at the melting or welding temperature of the thermoplastic material and does not form a strong bond with the foils at the welding temperature and pressure.

The combination of polyurethane foam with plasticized polyvinyl chloride has the additional advantage of not forming a strong adhesive bond along the creases z when the foil 10b is stretched at a temperature above its softening point while in pressure contact with the foam. Materials which are strongly bonded to each other in the creases z do not display as good a memory effect as those whose bond, if any, is weak and due more to superficial mechanical interlocking than to adhesive forces.

It is sufiicient to form a crease z in only one of the two thermoplastic foils 10a, 10b in the illustrated manner to achieve the desired effect, and the simplicity of the apparatus needed for forming the structure illustrated in FIG. 5 makes single creases more advantageous. Storage of the assembled picture book in the folded condition shown in FIG. 6 is essential for the memory" effect. The effect appears to be associated with internal stresses set up in the hinge parts of the strips 12 and the hinge portions of the foils 10a, 10b, particularly the latter. It is lost if the foam material in the hinges is melted into a compact and rigid mass. It is related to some extent to the tightness of fit between the wrapper or envelope 20 and the folded book 14.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications in the embodiments of the invention chosen herein for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A method of making a picture book which comprises:

(a) imprinting one face of each of two foils of pliable,

thermoplastic synthetic resin composition with a plurality of images, the image on each face forming a plurality of elongated rows;

(b) interposing a plurality of elongated, flat strips of foam material between said foils to form therewith a laminate structure,

(1) said one face of each foil being directed away from said strips and from the other foil,

(2) each strip being transversely aligned with respective rows of images on said foils,

(3) said strips being spaced from each other, and portions of said foils projecting beyond the width and the length of each strip in two directions;

(c) heat-sealing said projecting portions of said foils to form about each strip a seam impervious to liquid water;

(d) embossing a plurality of respective superimposed portions of one of said foils and of associated strips, said portions of each strip being spaced in the direction of strip elongation and elongated transversely of the direction of strip elongation between two spaced portions of said seam, until said portions of said strip are substantially thinner and of greater density than the longitudinally contiguous portions of the strip, and creases are formed in said one foil conforming to said portions of the strip; and

(e) severing said sealed projecting portions between said strips to form a plurality of picture book assemblies.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said projecting portions are sealed and said transversely elongated portions are embossed simultaneously by compressing said foils and the interposed strips between two electrodes, one of said electrodes being frame shaped, and applying highfrequency alternating current to said electrodes.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said foam material has a melting temperature substantially higher than the melting temperature of said thermoplastic material.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said thermoplastic material mainly consists of plasticized polyvinyl chloride.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said foam material is polyurethane foam.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises folding each of said picture book assemblies along said transversely elongated portions until respective imprinted face portions of each foil directly face each other, and storing the picture book assembly in the folded condition.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6, which further comprises wrapping each folded picture book assembly in an envelope prior to said storing, said envelope being tight enough to hold the wrapped book in the folded condition.

8. A method as set forth in claim .1, wherein said images are imprinted on said foils in spaced relationship in each of said rows, the images of each row on one of said foils are aligned transversely with corresponding images of a corresponding row on the other foil during said interposing of said strips between said foils to form pairs of aligned images, and said superimposed portions are embossed spacedly intermediate two pairs of aligned images.

9. In a washable childrens picture book essentially consisting of at least three laminar pages of substantially identical size and shape, each page comprising two face portions, a core portion interposed between said face portion, and an image imprint exposed on said face portions of said at least three pages, the face portions constituting respective longitudinally spaced integral parts of two superposed foil members of pliable material substantially impervious to water, and being connected with each other by longitudinally interposed hinge portions of the foil members, the core portions consisting of resilient soft, and pliable foam rubber or foam plastic, each page being connected to an adjacent page by a pair of respective hinge portions of the two foil members for pivotal movement about an axis transverse of the direction of elongation of the foil members, the foil members having respective rim portions projecting from said face portions in opposite longitudinal directions and transversely of the direction of elongation of the foil members, the rim portions of one foil member being bonded to the rim portions of the other foil member to form a seal between the foil members about the core portions of said pages, the improvement in the connection of adjacent pages comprising (a) a plurality of hinge parts of said foam rubber or foam plastic integrally connecting the core portions of said adjacent pages,

(1) said hinge parts being each interposed between a pair of respective hinge portions of said two foil members and being substantially thinner and of greater density than the core portions connected thereby,

(2) one of the hinge portions of each pair being approximately U'shaped in longitudinal section and conforming to the associated hinge part,

(3) said hinge part and said one associated hinge portion constituting resilient means uring the connected adjacent pages from a position of coplanar alignment toward a position in which said pages are angularly offset from each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,478,132 8/ 1949 Schade.

2,792,320 5/1957 Bower 161-161 X 3,222,437 12/1965 Schilling 281-37.5 3,244,571 4/1966 Weisman 156-290 X 3,257,128 6/1966 Schneider 281-39 J ERQME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

